Robot movement system, robot movement method, and robot movement program

Abstract

A processing circuit of this robot movement system is configured to, when assigning a plurality of tasks to a mobile robot, output a request signal for requesting a human to perform at least a part of a specific task selected from the plurality of tasks and involving movement to a different floor, and upon receiving an acceptance signal indicating acceptance for the request signal, determine a task plan for assigning the plurality of tasks to the mobile robot such that at least the part of the specific task is excluded from the task plan.

Description

Robot movement system, robot movement method, and robot movement program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot movement system, a robot movement method, and a robot movement program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a distributed cooperative system in which a plurality of robots work in cooperation in a single environment in which the robots are distributed.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-81570

[0004] However, robots need to use elevators to move between floors. Frequent use of elevators by robots may result in inconvenience for passengers or a decrease in the robot's task processing efficiency. Therefore, it is desirable to limit robots' use of elevators.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure aims to suppress the use of elevators by robots.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a robot movement system for causing a mobile robot to perform a task including movement from a starting point to a destination in a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having an elevator car, the system including a processing circuit configured to: when assigning a plurality of tasks to the mobile robot, output a request signal requesting a human to perform at least a portion of a specific task selected from the plurality of tasks that involves movement to a different floor; and, upon receiving an acceptance signal indicating acceptance of the request signal, determine the task plan for assigning the plurality of tasks to the mobile robot such that the at least a portion of the specific task is excluded from the task plan.

[0007] A robot movement method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method for having a mobile robot perform a task including movement from a starting point to a destination within a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having a lifting car, the method including: when assigning a plurality of tasks to the mobile robot, outputting a request signal requesting a human to perform at least a portion of a specific task that involves movement to a different floor selected from the plurality of tasks; and, upon receiving an acceptance signal indicating acceptance of the request signal, determining the task plan for assigning the plurality of tasks to the mobile robot so as to exclude the at least a portion of the specific task from the task plan.

[0008] A robot movement program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes at least one processor to execute the method. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a non-transitory, tangible medium. The storage medium may be built into or external to a computer (e.g., a mobile information terminal, a personal computer, a server, etc.). The storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, storage, etc., and may be, for example, a hard disk, flash memory, optical disk, etc. The program stored in the storage medium may be executed on a computer to which the storage medium is directly connected, or on a computer connected to the storage medium via a network.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the use of elevators by robots.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot mobile system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the mobile robot of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the information processing terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the server of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the elevator of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining the problem of task planning in which tasks distributed across different floors are assigned to mobile robots. FIG. 7 is a time-series diagram of task processing by the second mobile robot of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining a change in task planning in the robot mobile system of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a time-series diagram of task processing by the second mobile robot of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a flowchart explaining processing by the server of FIG. 4.

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot movement system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the robot movement system 1 includes a plurality of autonomously moving mobile robots 2 and a server 5 that can communicate with the plurality of mobile robots 2 via a communication network N. The communication network N may be, for example, the Internet, but may also be an intranet or the like. The mobile robots 2 autonomously move between floors in a multi-story facility 7 equipped with an elevator 8. Note that the number of mobile robots 2 in the facility 7 may be just one.

[0013] The facility 7 is not particularly limited as long as it has an elevator 8, but may be, for example, a hospital. The facility 7 has a plurality of people 3, each carrying an information processing terminal 4 connectable to a communication network N. The information processing terminal 4 may be, for example, a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a smartwatch, an augmented reality head-mounted device, or a laptop computer. The information processing terminal 4 may be located in a predetermined location where a plurality of people 3 may be present, such as a staff station in the facility 7. In this case, any one of the plurality of people 3 at the staff station may check the output of the information processing terminal 4 and operate the information processing terminal 4.

[0014] The multiple mobile robots 2 have the same configuration. The mobile robots 2 are equipped with a navigation function and move autonomously toward their destination. If the mobile robot 2 travels via stopover points before reaching its final destination, the mobile robot 2 may travel to the stopover point closest to its current location as its destination. The mobile robot 2 runs on the ground, but may also fly in the air. The multiple mobile robots 2 may also have different configurations. As an example, the mobile robot 2 includes multiple wheels 18, a body 19, at least one distance sensor 14, a touch panel display 15, etc.

[0015] The wheels 18 are drive wheels for traveling. The body 19 is supported by the wheels 18. The wheels 18 are an example of a propulsion body that moves the mobile robot 2. The task assigned to the mobile robot 2 is a travel task from a starting point to a destination. Therefore, the wheels 18 are an example of a driven body that performs the travel task. In this embodiment, the travel task is a delivery task in which the robot receives an object to be transported at the starting point and delivers the object to the destination. Therefore, the body 19 has a carrier 19a. The carrier 19a carries, for example, materials that need to be transported. The distance sensor 14 and the touch panel display 15 will be described later. The travel task assigned to the mobile robot 2 may be a security task in which the robot moves from the starting point to the destination while monitoring the surroundings, or a guide task in which the robot guides a person from the starting point to the destination. The starting point and destination of the travel task may be set on the same floor or different floors.

[0016] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the mobile robot 2 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile robot 2 includes a processing circuit 10, a distance measurement sensor 14, a touch panel display 15, a travel actuator 16, and a communication interface 17. These devices 14 to 17 are electrically connected to the processing circuit 10.

[0017] The processing circuit 10 includes a processor 11, a system memory 12, and a storage memory 13. The processor 11 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 12 may include RAM. The storage memory 13 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 13 stores a control program P1. A configuration in which the processor 11 executes the control program P1 read from the storage memory 13 to the system memory 12 is an example of the processing circuit 10. The processor 11 controls at least one of the touch panel display 15 and the travel actuator 16 according to the control program P1, based on information input from at least one of the distance measurement sensor 14, the touch panel display 15, and the communication interface 17.

[0018] The distance measurement sensor 14 measures the distance around the mobile robot 2 in three dimensions, thereby detecting the shape of the area around the mobile robot 2 in three dimensions. The distance measurement sensor 14 detects the position data of the outer surfaces of obstacles within the facility 7 by receiving reflected waves from obstacles around the mobile robot 2. For example, the distance measurement sensor 14 may emit light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves toward the area around the mobile robot 2 and receive the reflected waves. The distance measurement sensor 14 may also receive reflected waves of light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves in the external world that are reflected by objects. The distance measurement sensor 14 can measure distances in all horizontal directions relative to the mobile robot 2. Note that the distance measurement sensor 14 may also measure distances around the mobile robot 2 in two dimensions.

[0019] The ranging sensor 14 may detect the distance to an obstacle by measuring the time between emitting laser light and receiving the reflected wave. The ranging sensor 14 may be a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. As an example, the ranging sensor 14 is a three-dimensional LIDAR sensor. Note that the ranging sensor 14 may be a sensor assembly including a forward-facing LIDAR sensor, a rear-facing LIDAR sensor, a left-facing LIDAR sensor, and a right-facing LIDAR sensor. The ranging sensor 14 may be an infrared ranging sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, or a depth-sensing camera. The depth-sensing camera may measure the distance to an object by utilizing parallax created by a stereo camera.

[0020] The processing circuit 10 locates the position of the mobile robot 2 on the map data by matching the shape of the surroundings detected by the distance measurement sensor 14 with the map shape indicated by the map data. That is, a positioning sensor is realized by combining the distance measurement sensor 14 with software that matches the shape detected by the distance measurement sensor 14 with the map data 5. The mobile robot 2 can download map data from a map data storage unit 35 of the server 5, which will be described later.

[0021] The touch panel display 15 is an example of a user interface. That is, the touch panel display 15 serves as both a user input interface and a user output interface. Note that a keyboard, a mouse, or the like may be used as the user input interface, or a smartphone or tablet terminal capable of communicating with the mobile robot 2 may be used as the user output interface. A non-touch panel display may also be used as the user output interface. The mobile robot 2 may also have at least one of a speaker and a lamp as the user output interface.

[0022] The traveling actuators 16 include wheel drive actuators that drive the wheels 18. The traveling actuators 16 are, for example, electric motors. The traveling actuators 16 include braking actuators that drive brakes that brake the wheels 18. The traveling direction of the mobile robot 2 may be changed by varying the rotation speed of the left and right wheels 18, by varying the rotation direction of the left and right wheels 18, or by steering the wheels 18 with a steering actuator. The mobile robot 2 may have an opposed differential two-wheel mechanism or an omnidirectional Mecanum mechanism.

[0023] The communication interface 17 is an interface that wirelessly connects to the communication network N. The communication interface 17 functions as a transmitter that transmits information about the mobile robot 2 to the server 5 via the communication network N. The communication interface 17 functions as a receiver that receives information about other mobile robots 2 transmitted from the server 5.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the information processing terminal 4 of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing terminal 4 includes a processing circuit 20, a positioning sensor 24, a display 25, an operation interface 26, and a communication interface 27. The processing circuit 20 includes a processor 21, a system memory 22, and a storage memory 23.

[0025] The processor 21 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 22 may include RAM. The storage memory 23 is an example of a computer-readable medium, and is a non-transitory, tangible medium. The storage memory 23 may include ROM. The storage memory 23 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 23 stores a control program P2. A configuration in which the processor 21 executes the control program P2 read into the system memory 22 is an example of a processing circuit 20.

[0026] The positioning sensor 24 may be a satellite positioning sensor such as a GPS sensor. The positioning sensor 24 may be any sensor capable of acquiring the position of the information processing terminal 4, and may use a positioning technology other than satellite positioning technology. The positioning sensor 24 may be, for example, a wireless receiver capable of receiving radio waves transmitted from multiple access points of a wireless LAN established within the facility 7. In this case, the position of the information processing terminal 4 may be identified by calculating the distance from each wireless access point to the information processing terminal 4 based on the strength of the radio waves received by the positioning sensor 24 from each of the multiple access points.

[0027] The display 25 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The operation interface 26 is a user interface operated by the person 3. The operation interface 26 includes, for example, at least one selected from a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. If the display 25 is a touch panel, the display 25 also serves as the operation interface 26.

[0028] The communication interface 27 is for connecting to the communication network N, and may be, for example, a communication device that connects to a mobile phone line, or may be one that connects to the communication network N via a wireless LAN access point.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the server 5 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the server 5 includes a processing circuit 30 and a communication interface 34. The communication interface 34 is electrically connected to the processing circuit 30. The processing circuit 30 includes a processor 31, a system memory 32, and a storage memory 33. The communication interface 34 is connected to the communication network N via a wired or wireless connection. The processor 31 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 32 may include RAM. The storage memory 33 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 33 stores a program P3. A configuration in which the processor 31 executes the program P3 read from the storage memory 33 to the system memory 32 is an example of a processing circuit 30.

[0030] The storage memory 33 has a map data storage unit 35 that stores map data of the facility 7 in which the mobile robot 2 moves. The map data storage unit 35 is a database that stores map data. The map data specifies the shape of the area in which the mobile robot 2 can move. For example, the map data specifies the shape of each floor in the facility 7. The map data specifies the contours of obstacles on each floor, thereby specifying the contours of the area in which the mobile robot 2 can move. The map data storage unit 35 may be a database that is located outside the server 5 and is communicatively connected to the server 5.

[0031] The storage memory 33 has a human data storage unit 36 ​​that stores data related to each human 3. The human data storage unit 36 ​​is a database that stores information including an acceptance history in which each human 3 has offered acceptance in response to a request signal, as will be described later. The human data storage unit 36 ​​may be a database that is located outside the server 5 and communicatively connected to the server 5.

[0032] Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the elevator 8 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 5, the elevator 8 includes an elevator control device 81, an elevator hall operation panel 82, and a lift car 83. The elevator control device 81 includes a communication interface 41 connected to the communication network N, an actuator 42 that raises or lowers the lift car 83, and a control processing circuit 43 that controls the actuator 42. The control processing circuit 43 has a configuration in which a processor executes a control program read from a storage memory to a system memory, for example.

[0033] An elevator hall operation panel 82 is installed in the elevator hall of each floor in the facility 7. The elevator hall operation panel 82 includes a communication interface 51, an up-direction call registration button 52, and a down-direction call registration button 53. The communication interface 51 is connected to the communication interface 41 of the elevator control device 81 by wire or wirelessly. The communication interface 51 may also be connected to the communication network N. The up-direction call registration button 52 and the down-direction call registration button 53 are arranged so as to be operable in the elevator hall. When the up-direction call registration button 52 is pressed, a car call registration for traveling to an upper floor using the elevator car 83 is transmitted to the elevator control device 81 via the communication interface 51. When the down-direction call registration button 53 is pressed, a car call registration for traveling to a lower floor using the elevator car 83 is transmitted to the elevator control device 81 via the communication interface 51.

[0034] The elevator car 83 has an internal space for the mobile robot to ride in, and is driven by the actuator 42 to rise or fall to different floors. The internal space of the elevator car 83 is large enough to carry, for example, multiple mobile robots 2 at the same time. The elevator car 83 includes a communication interface 61 and a destination floor designation button 62. The communication interface 61 is connected to the communication interface 41 of the elevator control device 81 by wire or wirelessly. The communication interface 61 may also be connected to the communication network N. The destination floor designation button 62 is arranged in an operable manner in the internal space of the elevator car 83. When a destination floor is selected by operating the destination floor designation button 62, the destination floor registration of the elevator car 83 is transmitted to the elevator control device 81 via the communication interface 61.

[0035] The control processing circuit 43 of the elevator control device 81 determines whether to move or stop the elevator car 83 and controls the actuator 42 in accordance with information based on the operation of the up call registration button 52, the down call registration button 53, and the destination floor designation button 62. The control processing circuit 43 of the elevator control device 81 also references information received from the server 5 via the communication network N, as will be described later, to determine whether to move or stop the elevator car 83 and control the actuator 42.

[0036] 6 is a diagram illustrating the task planning problem in which tasks distributed across different floors are assigned to mobile robots 2A and 2B. As shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the starting points (receiving points of the transported items) of different tasks 1 to 5 (transporting the transported items) are located on the sixth to second floors of facility 7, and the destinations (delivery destinations of the transported items) of all tasks are located on the first floor of facility 7. The server 5 determines the planned movement routes of each mobile robot 2 based on a known method, for example, the LNS (Large Neighborhood Search) algorithm, so that each mobile robot 2 efficiently shares all tasks within facility 7.

[0037] Assume that Task 1, whose starting point is the sixth floor, and Task 3, whose starting point is the fourth floor, are assigned to the first mobile robot 2A. Assume that Task 2, whose starting point is the fifth floor, Task 4, whose starting point is the third floor, and Task 5, whose starting point is the second floor, are assigned to the second mobile robot 2B. In this case, because there are so many tasks assigned to the second mobile robot 2B, there is a possibility that the second mobile robot 2B will not be able to arrive at its destination on the first floor by the required time.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a timeline diagram of task processing by the second mobile robot 2B in FIG. 6 . In the timeline diagram in FIG. 7 , the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents each task. In FIG. 7 , arrows indicate the movement of the second mobile robot 2B. In FIG. 7 , the fine dashed lines corresponding to each task indicate the time range in which the second mobile robot 2B is required to arrive at the starting point of each task. In FIG. 7 , the coarse dashed lines corresponding to each task indicate the time range in which the second mobile robot 2B is required to arrive at the destination of each task. Because the second mobile robot 2B needs to get off the elevator car 83 on the fifth, third, and second floors and stop at the starting points of tasks 2, 4, and 5, it exceeds the time range in which it is required to arrive at the destination of task 2 by a time ΔT. In consideration of this situation, the following measures are taken in this embodiment.

[0039] Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining a change in task plan in the robot mobile system 1 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 8, it is assumed that the starting points (receiving points of the transported objects) of different tasks 1 to 5 (transporting the transported objects) are located on the sixth to second floors of a facility 7, and the destinations (delivery destinations of the transported objects) of all tasks are located on the first floor of the facility 7. The server 5 determines the planned movement routes of each mobile robot 2 based on a known method, for example, an LNS (Large Neighborhood Search) algorithm, so that each mobile robot 2 efficiently shares all tasks within the facility 7.

[0040] The server 5 requests the human 3 to perform some of the tasks 1 to 5. For example, assume that task 1, whose starting point is the sixth floor, and task 3, whose starting point is the fourth floor, are assigned to the first mobile robot 2A. Then, assume that task 2, whose starting point is the fifth floor, and task 4, whose starting point is the third floor, are assigned to the second mobile robot 2B. In this case, the server 5 requests the human 3 to perform task 5 (a specific task), whose starting point is the second floor, instead of assigning it to the second mobile robot 2B. When the human 3 accepts the request, the server 5 determines a revised task plan by modifying the initial task plan to be assigned to the second mobile robot 2B so as to exclude task 5.

[0041] Human 3, who has accepted Task 5, picks up the transported object at the starting point of Task 5 on the second floor, and then travels to the third floor using the stairs to deliver the transported object to the starting point of Task 4. In this way, when second mobile robot 2B arrives at the starting point of Task 4 on the third floor, it can receive both the transported object for Task 4 and the transported object for Task 5 and deliver the transported object to the destinations of Tasks 4 and 5 on the first floor, respectively.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a timeline diagram of task processing by the second mobile robot 2B in FIG. 8 . In the timeline diagram in FIG. 9 , the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents each task. In FIG. 9 , arrows indicate the movement of the second mobile robot 2B. In FIG. 9 , the fine dashed lines corresponding to each task indicate the time range in which the robot is required to arrive at the starting point of each task. In FIG. 9 , the coarse dashed lines corresponding to each task indicate the time range in which the robot is required to arrive at the destination of each task. The second mobile robot 2B gets off the elevator car 83 on the fifth and third floors to stop at the starting points of tasks 2 and 4. Meanwhile, the human 3 picks up the transported object at the starting point of task 5 on the second floor and carries it up the stairs to the starting point of task 4 on the third floor. Therefore, the second mobile robot 2B can head to the first floor without getting off the elevator car 83 on the second floor and arrive at the destination within the time range in which the robot is required to arrive at the destination of tasks 2, 4, and 5.

[0043] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the server 5 in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 10, the server 5 acquires task information indicating details of each task to be assigned to one of the mobile robots 2 (step S1). The task information includes, for example, the type of task (e.g., delivery, patrol, etc.), the starting point of the task, the destination of the task, the time range in which arrival at the starting point is required, and the time range in which arrival at the destination is required. The task information may include information about multiple tasks.

[0044] Next, the server 5 selects a robot from each mobile robot 2 to which each task will be assigned, and determines a planned movement path for each mobile robot 2 (step S2). That is, the server 5 determines a planned movement path for each mobile robot 2 so that it includes the starting point and destination of the assigned task. This determines an initial task plan for the mobile robot 2. The planned movement path for each mobile robot 2 is determined based on a known method (e.g., the LNS algorithm) so that each mobile robot 2 efficiently shares all tasks within the facility 7. Note that the number of mobile robots 2 within the facility 7 may be one, in which case the server 5 has no choice in which mobile robot 2 to select.

[0045] The server 5 determines whether this initial task plan does not satisfy predetermined requirements (step S3). The requirements include requirements regarding the arrival time of the mobile robot 2 at the starting point or destination of each task. The requirements may include that the task execution cost of the task plan be less than a threshold. The task execution cost may be a function value calculated to increase as the planned travel distance of each mobile robot 2 in the task plan increases. The task execution cost may be a function value calculated to increase as the planned number of times each mobile robot 2 uses the elevator 8 in the task plan increases.

[0046] The server 5 calculates a task plan that can satisfy the requirements by transferring at least a part of a specific task selected from all tasks to the human 3 (step S4). At this time, the server 5 determines the specific task (corresponding to task 5 in Fig. 8) to be executed by the human 3 at least in part so that all requirements regarding the arrival times of the mobile robots 2 at the starting points and destinations of all tasks assigned to each mobile robot 2 are satisfied and the task execution cost is minimized.

[0047] The task execution cost may include a human burden cost that is set to increase as the burden on the human 9 increases when the human 3 performs at least a portion of the specific task. The human burden cost may include, for example, a human travel cost that is set to increase as the difference in floor number between the floor closest to the floor of the starting location of the specific task among the floors of the starting locations of the remaining tasks other than the specific task among all tasks increases. That is, the specific task is determined so that the difference in floor number between the floor of the starting location of the specific task where the human 3 receives the transported object and the floor where the human 3 delivers the transported object using stairs (the floor of the starting location of the task closest to the floor of the starting location of the specific task) is unlikely to be large. This makes it less likely that a task plan that increases the workload on the human 3 will be determined. The human burden cost may also be set to increase as the distance traveled by the human 9 when the human 3 performs at least a portion of the specific task increases.

[0048] The specific task may be selected so that the difference in floor number between the floor of the departure point of the specific task and the floor of the departure point of the specific task, which is the closest floor to the floor of the departure point of the specific task among the floors of the departure points or destinations of the remaining tasks other than the specific task, is less than a threshold value. This also makes it less likely that a task plan that places a heavy workload on the person 3 will be determined.

[0049] The server 5 may select a specific task so that the starting point or destination of any remaining task other than the specific task does not lie on the starting floor of the specific task. In other words, by transferring the specific task to the human 3, the mobile robot 2 does not need to use the elevator 8 to get off at the starting floor of the specific task just for the specific task. This reduces the mobile robot 2's use of the elevator 8 and effectively prevents other users from having to wait for the elevator 8 for a long time.

[0050] The server 5 transmits a request signal to the information processing terminal 4 carried by the human 3, requesting at least part of the determined specific task (step S5). At least part of the specific task includes travel to a different floor. The server 5 may request the human 3 to perform only part of the travel from the starting point to the destination of the specific task. For example, the human 3 may receive the transported object at the starting point of the specific task, and then the human 3 may use stairs to deliver the transported object to the mobile robot 2 located on a different floor from the starting point, and the mobile robot may then deliver the transported object to the destination. The server 5 may also request the human 3 to perform all of the travel from the starting point to the destination of the specific task.

[0051] When there are multiple humans 3 carrying information processing terminals 4 within the facility 7, the server 5 determines the destination of the request signal so that the closer the distance to the starting point of the specific task is to a human 3, the more likely the information processing terminal 4 of that human 3 is to be selected as the destination of the request signal. For example, the server 5 calculates the human movement costs of multiple humans 3 within the facility 7, and selects the information processing terminal 4 of the human 3 with the smallest human movement cost as the destination of the request signal. The human movement cost is set to increase as the distance from the current location of the human 3 to the starting point of the specific task increases.

[0052] The server 5 determines whether or not a response signal has been received from the information processing terminal 4 that was the destination of the request signal (step S6). If it is determined that a response signal has not been received from the information processing terminal 4 that was the destination of the request signal (step S6: N), the server 5 waits or retransmits the request signal. Note that if the time that has elapsed since the server 5 transmitted the request signal exceeds a predetermined time limit without receiving a response signal, the server 5 may cancel the request signal and transmit it to the information processing terminal 4 of another person 3.

[0053] When it is determined that a response signal has been received from the information processing terminal 4 to which the request signal was sent (step S6: Y), the server 5 determines whether the response signal is an acceptance signal that accepts the request or a rejection signal that rejects the request (step S7).

[0054] If the response signal is determined to be a refusal signal (step S7: N), the server 5 transmits a request signal (step S5) to another person 3. The server 5 may update the information of the person 3 who has expressed refusal in the person data storage unit 36 ​​so that the person 3 who has expressed refusal is less likely to be selected as the destination of the next request signal.

[0055] For example, the server 5 may record the number of refusals, which is the number of times each human 3 refuses in response to a request signal, in the human data storage unit 36 ​​for each human 3. In this case, the server 5 may add an additional value to the human movement cost that increases as the number of refusals increases. This reduces the likelihood that a human 3 with a high number of refusals will be selected as the recipient of the next request signal, thereby preventing frequent instances of the human 3 refusing to perform a task. Furthermore, the server 5 may exclude a human 3 who refuses from the recipients of the next request signal for a predetermined period of time, so that a human 3 who refuses will be less likely to be selected as the recipient of the next request signal. Note that, although steps S5 to S7 request a specific task from a human 3 in a manner that allows for refusal, the request may be a mandatory request that does not allow refusal. In this case, steps S6 and S7 may be omitted.

[0056] If the server 5 determines that the time from the transmission of the first request signal to the reception of the acceptance signal has exceeded a predetermined timer time, the server 5 may return to step S4 and recalculate a task plan different from the current task plan. The server 5 may also determine the specific task to be transferred to the person 3 based on the priority of the task. For example, the server 5 may select a task with a low priority among the tasks as the specific task.

[0057] If the response signal is determined to be an acceptance signal (step S7: Y), the server 5 changes the task plan determined in step S2 to the task plan calculated in step S4 (step S8). That is, the server 5 discards the initial task plan determined in step S2 and determines the task plan calculated in step S4 as a revised task plan. In this revised task plan, the starting point or destination of a specific task is revised, and part of the specific task is excluded from the initial task plan. In the example of FIG. 8 , the round trip from getting off the elevator car 83 on the second floor to traveling to the starting point of task 5 and then boarding the elevator car 83 is excluded from the initial task plan. That is, the destination of task 5 is not revised, and the starting point of task 5 is revised to the same location as the starting point of task 4.

[0058] Note that the human 3 may carry the transported object to a midpoint on the planned movement route of the mobile robot 2, but this is not limited to this. The human 3 may carry the transported object using stairs to a floor where the starting point of task 5 is located, and the mobile robot 2 may move off the planned movement route to receive the transported object from the human 3.

[0059] The server 5 sends a confirmation signal to the information processing terminal 4 that sent the acceptance signal (step S9). Having confirmed receipt of the confirmation signal at the information processing terminal 4, the human 3 assists in the task plan by performing part of the requested specific task. In the example of Figure 8, having confirmed receipt of the confirmation signal at the information processing terminal 4, the human 3 picks up the transported object at the starting point of task 5 on the second floor and delivers it using the stairs to the starting point of task 4 on the third floor. When the human 3 has completed the requested part of the specific task, he or she uses the information processing terminal 4 to send an assistance completion notice to the server 5.

[0060] The human 3 may send an assistance completion notification to the server 5 using the touch panel display 15 of the mobile robot 2. Completion of the portion of the specific task requested of the human 3 may also be determined by other methods. For example, when a sensor of the mobile robot 2 detects that an object to be transported has been placed on the carrier 19a of the mobile robot 2, the mobile robot 2 may determine that the portion of the specific task requested of the human 3 has been completed. The sensor of the mobile robot 2 may be, for example, a camera that photographs the object to be transported in the carrier 19a, an RFID reader that can communicate with an RFID tag attached to the object to be transported in the carrier 19a, or a weighing scale that can detect the load weight of the carrier 19a.

[0061] The server 5 receives the support completion notification (step S10). When the server 5 receives the support completion notification, the server 5 may instruct the information processing terminal 4 to output a display or sound indicating gratitude on the display and / or speaker of the information processing terminal 4 that sent the notification. Furthermore, when the server 5 receives an acceptance signal, the server 5 may output a display or sound indicating gratitude on the display and / or speaker of the information processing terminal 4 that sent the notification.

[0062] When the server 5 receives the support completion notification, it updates the acceptance history of the human 3 corresponding to the information processing terminal 4 that sent the support completion notification in the human data storage unit 36. For example, the server 5 may record the number of acceptances, which is the number of times that each human 3 has offered acceptance in response to a request signal, in the human data storage unit 36 ​​for each human 3. This makes it possible to identify the human 3 who have accepted the most tasks and to provide an incentive to that human 3.

[0063] Furthermore, in order to level out the workload, the server 5 may determine the priority of requests to humans 3 so that the acceptance histories of each human 3 are equal. For example, the server 5 may multiply the human movement cost by a coefficient that increases according to the number of past acceptances.

[0064] The configuration described above can reduce the mobile robot 2's use of the elevator 8. For example, by obtaining the minimum amount of help from the human 3, the mobile robot 2 can complete multiple tasks while still performing the tasks, reducing the burden on the mobile robot 2. Furthermore, the human 3 can move using the stairs instead of the elevator 8, which can reduce the mobile robot 2's use of the elevator 8, preventing other users from having to wait long for the elevator.

[0065] As described above, the above embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to these and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. Furthermore, the components described in the above embodiments can be combined to create new embodiments. For example, some configurations or methods in one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and some configurations in an embodiment can be separated and arbitrarily extracted from other configurations in that embodiment. Furthermore, the components described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, and are used to illustrate the technology.

[0066] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. Processors are considered processing circuits or circuits because they include transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0067] [Aspects] The above-described embodiments are specific examples of the following aspects.

[0068] (Aspect 1) A system for having a mobile robot perform a task including movement from a starting point to a destination within a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having a lifting car, the robot movement system comprising a processing circuit configured to: when assigning a plurality of tasks to the mobile robot, output a request signal requesting a human to perform at least a portion of a specific task that involves movement to a different floor selected from the plurality of tasks; and, upon receiving an acceptance signal indicating acceptance of the request signal, determine the task plan to exclude at least a portion of the specific task from the task plan that assigns the plurality of tasks to the mobile robot.

[0069] With this configuration, by obtaining minimal human assistance, the mobile robot can complete multiple tasks while still achieving task execution, reducing the burden on the mobile robot. Also, since a human can move around by stairs instead of using the elevator, the mobile robot can reduce its use of the elevator, preventing other users from having to wait long for the elevator.

[0070] (Aspect 2) The robot movement system of aspect 1, wherein determining the task plan to exclude at least a portion of the specific task includes determining the task plan to exclude a portion of the specific task by modifying a start point or a destination point of the specific task.

[0071] According to this configuration, when a part of a specific task is requested to be performed by a human, the task plan can be easily optimized.

[0072] (Aspect 3) The robot movement system according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the task plan satisfies predetermined requirements, and outputting the request signal includes outputting the request signal when it is determined that the task plan does not satisfy the requirements.

[0073] This configuration allows the mobile robot to complete multiple tasks while still fulfilling its requirements.

[0074] (Aspect 4) The robot movement system according to aspect 3, wherein the request includes a request regarding an arrival time of the mobile robot at the starting point or the destination of the plurality of tasks.

[0075] This configuration can prevent situations where the departure point or destination of a task cannot be reached by the requested time.

[0076] (Aspect 5) The robot movement system according to aspect 3 or 4, wherein the request includes a request regarding a task execution cost determined based on at least one of a planned movement distance of the mobile robot and a planned number of times the elevator is used.

[0077] This configuration can prevent the movement efficiency of the robot from being reduced.

[0078] (Aspect 6) The robot movement system according to any one of Aspects 3 to 5, wherein the request includes a request regarding the magnitude of the burden on the human when the human performs at least a part of the specific task.

[0079] According to this configuration, it is possible to make it difficult to determine a task plan that increases the workload of human assistance. (Aspect 7) The robot movement system according to any one of Aspects 3 to 6, wherein the request includes a request regarding a human movement cost that is set to increase as the difference in floor numbers between the floor of the departure location of the specific task and a floor that is closest to the floor of the departure location of the specific task among the remaining tasks other than the specific task among the plurality of tasks increases.

[0080] This configuration makes it difficult for a task plan that places a heavy workload on human assistance to be determined.

[0081] (Aspect 8) The robot movement system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the processing circuitry selects the specific task such that a starting point or a destination point of any remaining task other than the specific task among the plurality of tasks is not on the floor where the specific task is started.

[0082] This configuration reduces the number of opportunities for mobile robots to use the elevator, thereby effectively preventing other users from having to wait long for the elevator.

[0083] (Aspect 9) The robot movement system according to Aspect 8, wherein the processing circuitry selects the specific task such that a difference in floor number between a floor of a starting point or a destination of the remaining tasks other than the specific task among the plurality of tasks that is closest to the floor of the starting point of the specific task and the floor of the starting point of the specific task is less than a threshold.

[0084] This configuration can reduce the burden on a person of the task of moving from the starting point of a specific task to the starting point or destination of another task using stairs.

[0085] (Aspect 10) In the robot movement system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, when the processing circuit receives a rejection signal indicating a rejection of the request signal, the processing circuit updates information about the person who has rejected the request signal so that the person who has rejected the request signal is less likely to be selected as the recipient of the next request signal.

[0086] This configuration can prevent frequent refusals by humans when tasks are requested to be performed by humans.

[0087] (Aspect 11) The robot movement system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, further comprising a database that stores acceptance histories of a plurality of humans, wherein the processing circuitry, upon receiving the acceptance signal, updates the acceptance history of the human who has offered the acceptance.

[0088] According to this configuration, it is possible to identify people who have accepted many tasks and to provide incentives to these people.

[0089] (Mode 12) A method for having a mobile robot perform a task including movement from a starting point to a destination within a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having a lifting car, the method comprising: when assigning a plurality of tasks to the mobile robot, outputting a request signal requesting a human to perform at least a portion of a specific task that involves movement to a different floor selected from the plurality of tasks; and, upon receiving an acceptance signal indicating acceptance of the request signal, determining the task plan to exclude at least a portion of the specific task from the task plan that assigns the plurality of tasks to the mobile robot.

[0090] (Aspect 13) A robot movement program causing at least one processor to execute the method according to aspect 12.

[0091] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Robot movement system 2 Mobile robot 2A First mobile robot 2B Second mobile robot 3 Human 4 Information processing terminal 5 Server 7 Facility 8 Elevator 30 Processing circuit 31 Processor 83 Lift car P3 Program

Claims

1. A system for causing a mobile robot to perform a task including movement from a starting point to a destination within a multi-floor facility equipped with an elevator having a lifting car, the system comprising a processing circuit configured to: when assigning a plurality of tasks to the mobile robot, output a request signal requesting a human to perform at least a portion of a specific task selected from the plurality of tasks, which involves movement to a different floor; and, upon receiving an acceptance signal indicating acceptance of the request signal, determine the task plan for assigning the plurality of tasks to the mobile robot so as to exclude the at least a portion of the specific task from the task plan.

2. The robotic mobility system of claim 1, wherein determining the task plan to exclude at least a portion of the specific task includes determining the task plan to exclude a portion of the specific task by modifying a starting point or a destination of the specific task.

3. The robot movement system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the task plan satisfies predetermined requirements, and outputting the request signal includes outputting the request signal when it is determined that the task plan does not satisfy the requirements.

4. The robot mobile system according to claim 3, wherein the request includes a request regarding the arrival time of the mobile robot at the starting point or the destination of the plurality of tasks.

5. The robot movement system according to claim 3, wherein the request includes a request regarding a task execution cost determined based on at least one of a planned movement distance of the mobile robot and a planned number of times the elevator is used.

6. The robotic mobile system according to claim 3, wherein the requirements include requirements regarding the level of strain that the human will have when performing at least a portion of the specific task.

7. A robot mobility system as described in claim 3, wherein the request includes a request regarding human movement costs that are set to increase as the difference in floor numbers between the floor of the departure location of the specific task and the floor of the departure location of the specific task increases, among the floors of the departure locations of remaining tasks other than the specific task among the plurality of tasks.

8. A robot movement system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing circuit selects the specific task such that the starting point or destination of any remaining task other than the specific task among the plurality of tasks is not on the floor where the specific task is started.

9. The robot mobile system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit selects the specific task such that the difference in floor number between the floor of the departure point of the specific task and the floor of the departure point of the specific task, among the floors of the departure points or destination points of the remaining tasks other than the specific task among the plurality of tasks, is less than a threshold.

10. A robot movement system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the processing circuit receives a rejection signal indicating a rejection of the request signal, the processing circuit updates information about the person who has rejected the request so that the person who has rejected the request is less likely to be selected as the recipient of the next request signal.

11. A robotic mobile system as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a database storing the acceptance history of a plurality of humans, wherein the processing circuitry, upon receiving the acceptance signal, updates the acceptance history of the humans who have offered the acceptance.

12. A method for having a mobile robot perform a task including movement from a starting point to a destination in a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having an elevator car, the method comprising: when allocating a plurality of tasks to the mobile robot, outputting a request signal requesting a human to perform at least a part of a specific task which involves movement to a different floor and is selected from the plurality of tasks; and, upon receiving an acceptance signal indicating acceptance of the request signal, determining the task plan for allocating the plurality of tasks to the mobile robot so as to exclude the at least a part of the specific task.

13. A robot movement program that causes at least one processor to execute the method of claim 12.

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